


Memoriam

by SyverneSien



Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Feels, BloodClan (Warriors), Book Series: The Prophecies Begin, Break Up, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Established Relationship, F/M, Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Cheating, LGBT Cats (Warriors), Loss, M/M, Multi, Non-Graphic Violence, Other, Polyamory, Sad with a Happy Ending, StarClan (Warriors), Super Edition: Book 2: Bluestar's Prophecy, ThunderClan (Warriors), TigerClan (Warriors)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23300239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SyverneSien/pseuds/SyverneSien
Summary: Over the course of his life, Whitestorm slowly loses everyone he's ever loved.The tags tell it best. A one-shot about one of my favourite ships that ended up a lot more angsty than I intended.
Relationships: Goldenflower/Tigerclaw (Warriors), Lionheart/Tigerclaw/Whitestorm (Warriors), Lionheart/Whitestorm (Warriors)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Memoriam

Whitekit, Tigerkit, and Lionpaw. They’d been inseparable since Whitekit was born, despite Thistleclaw’s qualms about Lionpaw. Lionheart, Whitepaw, and Tigerpaw were the same. Hunting together, training together, spying on Thistleclaw together… well, perhaps they didn’t include Tigerpaw in that last one. It was for Tigerpaw’s good, after all. Thistleclaw had always been a shady character.

It wasn’t until after Tigerclaw and Whitestorm’s warrior ceremony when their relationship started to falter.

Tigerclaw insisted that Redtail had killed Thistleclaw. Whitestorm and Lionheart had argued, explaining that while yes, Thistleclaw had been Tigerclaw’s mentor, that didn’t mean he had to avenge Thistleclaw’s death. And besides, the area had been drenched in ShadowClan scent and Redtail had been half-dead himself. But Tigerclaw didn’t listen.

They were curled up together in the warriors’ den, just Lionheart and Whitestorm. Lionheart was already asleep and Whitestorm was getting there, his muzzle buried in Lionheart’s thick mane of fur. Whitestorm yawned; he could smell Tigerclaw’s scent, but he couldn’t tell if it was on the nest or from the cat himself, who was mysteriously absent.

“Room for three?” Tigerclaw’s gruff voice whispered from behind Whitestorm. Drowsily, Whitestorm blinked up at him.

“Where have you been?” Whitestorm asked, shifting over to make room for Tigerclaw on his other side. “It’s cold sleeping without you.” He shivered as Tigerclaw’s thick brown pelt, cold from outside, brushed against his spine. It didn’t matter - he would warm up soon, tucked in with his mates.

“Out for a walk,” Tigerclaw murmured, nuzzling Whitestorm’s shoulder. Whitestorm could feel the great warrior’s breath against his neck. “I was too restless. Thinking about Thistleclaw.” Thistleclaw’s vigil had been the day before. Whitestorm had ignored it and pretended to sleep, though he’d still been struggling to find dreams when Lionheart and Tigerclaw joined him.

“Who isn’t?” Whitestorm grumbled. The whole Clan was urging Sunstar to make an attack against ShadowClan in revenge. Except for Whitestorm, who didn’t care, and Tigerclaw, who thought that it was Redtail’s fault. Whitestorm felt bad that he didn’t care that his father had died, but Thistleclaw had never really acted like a father to him. Even when he pretended to, he’d just tried to make Whitestorm into a vicious, uncaring monster. And that’s how Whitestorm saw Thistleclaw.

“Redtail’s been acting suspicious,” Tigerclaw went on, placing a lick between Whitestorm’s ears.

“Of course he is, he witnessed his Clanmate die and couldn’t do anything about it,” Whitestorm sighed. “It’s too late, Tigerclaw. I don’t want to talk about this right now. Please?” The white warrior rolled over and smiled at Tigerclaw.

“Alright. For you, Whitestorm,” Tigerclaw whispered.

A season passed. Tigerclaw didn’t forget, Whitestorm knew he didn’t, but he stopped talking about it. They were happy.

“Goldenflower!” Tigerclaw called, bounding out of the warriors’ den. Whitestorm yawned and blinked his eyes open, awoken from his nap in the sun with Lionheart by the brown warrior’s voice.

“White? What’s-” Lionheart mumbled, before Whitestorm flicked his tail-tip across Lionheart’s mouth.

“Nothing, Lionheart,” Whitestorm replied. “Tigerclaw’s going hunting with your sister.” Whitestorm didn’t mention how he’d been seeing them together all too often. Sometimes it felt as if Lionheart was his only mate.

“Goldenflower?” Lionheart blinked, seeming confused. “I thought  _ we _ were his mates, not her.” Ah, so Lionheart had noticed as well.

“Tigerclaw!” Whitestorm called as Tigerclaw and Goldenflower went by. “Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been on your paws all morning.” He gestured to the spot beside him that Tigerclaw usually filled.

Tigerclaw wrinkled his nose. “Maybe you two should try going on patrol for a change, instead of dozing around in the sun,” Tigerclaw snapped, before promptly leaving with Goldenflower.

“Who made dirt in his fresh-kill?” Lionheart muttered. “Is he still fussed about Thistleclaw?”

“Something must be going on,” Whitestorm declared. “Let’s go follow them.” The white warrior got to his paws and gestured for Lionheart to follow.

“Follow them?” Lionheart repeated. “As in, spy?” He jumped up but didn’t seem enthusiastic.

“Why not? We used to spy on Thistleclaw all the time. Besides, if something’s wrong with Tigerclaw, we should know about it. We might be able to help him,” Whitestorm decided. “Come on, Lionheart.” Whitestorm charged towards the camp entrance, following the fresh scent of Goldenflower and Tigerclaw.

“They headed for Sunningrocks,” Lionheart reported, tasting the air. He still seemed mildly unhappy with this arrangement, but he wouldn’t let Whitestorm do it on his own.

Whitestorm took off in the direction of Sunningrocks, hoping that the warriors wouldn’t notice his white pelt through the trees. He wasn’t exactly the stealthiest cat. “Look!” Whitestorm hissed, gesturing with his tail to the yellow and brown pelts sitting on the rocks.

“What are they saying?” Lionheart whispered. Whitestorm flicked Lionheart’s ear with his tail.

“Be quiet and we might find out,” Whitestorm murmured. He peered through the bushes and strained his ears.

“What about Lionheart and Whitestorm?” Goldenflower was saying. Whitestorm narrowed his eyes. Yes, what about Tigerclaw’s two mates?

“They’ll understand,” Tigerclaw purred in reply. “After all, it’s only natural to want kits. Three toms, no matter how determined, can’t make a litter.” Tigerclaw leaned forward and cupped Goldenflower’s chin with his paw.

“Kits?” Lionheart glanced at Whitestorm. “He’s not…”

“I think he is,” Whitestorm replied darkly.

“You won’t take them away from me, will you? My kits?” Goldenflower asked, trembling. She seemed terrified.

“Of course not,” Tigerclaw said, and Whitestorm expected the toothy grin that signified that he was lying. It didn’t come. “I love you, Goldenflower.”

“That slimy, no-good, rotten-” Whitestorm started before he was interrupted by a quiet sob from Lionheart. The golden warrior was crying.

“Is he lying, Whitestorm? Is he?” Lionheart demanded softly, grabbing Whitestorm by the shoulders and shaking him.

“No.” Whitestorm hung his head. “I don’t think so. I’m sorry, Lionheart.”

“I love you, Whitestorm,” Lionheart glanced back at Goldenflower and Tigerclaw, “but it won’t be the same without him.”

“I know,” Whitestorm trailed his tail over Lionheart’s back. “Let’s go back to camp. We can talk to Tigerclaw later.”

“I don’t want to,” Lionheart mewed with a sigh, letting Whitestorm lead him back through the trees.

“I know, Lionheart, but we must,” Whitestorm replied. “Come along.”

A quarter moon later, Whitestorm had finally managed to get the three of them together again.

“We saw you with Goldenflower a quarter moon ago on Sunningrocks,” Whitestorm started, his tone accusatory.

“So? We were hunting,” Tigerclaw mewed with a shrug. “I thought you two weren’t the possessive types?”

“We  _ heard _ you, too,” Lionheart added, baring his teeth. “You can’t have kits with my sister!”

“Why not?” Tigerclaw seemed genuinely confused. “I want kits, and neither of you can give me them. I already have two mates, why not a third?”

“Because I’m okay with Lionheart, but I’m  _ not _ okay with Goldenflower! We have to all agree, that’s how this kind of thing works,” Whitestorm hissed. “You went behind our backs and told another cat you love her!” His tail lashed and he glanced at Lionheart. “And she’s Lionheart’s  _ sister! _ ”

“What are you going to do about it?” Tigerclaw demanded, hackles raised.

“Kick you out,” Lionheart said quietly. “If you’re going to lie and betray us, then you can no longer be our mate. Make your own nest with Goldenflower and eat your fresh-kill away from us.” Lionheart narrowed his eyes. “Now leave.”

Tigerclaw’s nostrils flared. “This all started because you wouldn’t believe me about Redtail,” Tigerclaw declared. “If you don’t want me, then fine.” The dark brown tabby turned and stalked away, leaving Lionheart and Whitestorm in the clearing alone.

Lionheart moved over until his flank was pressed against Whitestorm’s. “He left us for my  _ sister, _ ” Lionheart mewed dejectedly.

“Thistleclaw is poisoning his brain, even after death,” Whitestorm sighed. “Let’s go take a nap, like old times.”

“It won’t be the same,” Lionheart closed his eyes. “Knowing that he won’t be coming back and there’s no reason to try.”

“At least we’ll know what your and Tigerclaw’s kits would have looked like,” Whitestorm tried to smile and bump Lionheart’s shoulder, but fell short. “We have to move on, you know.”

“Do we?” Lionheart’s eyes were sad.

A season later, neither Whitestorm nor Lionheart had fully adjusted to the warrior missing from their relationship. Another season later, Sunstar passed on to StarClan and Bluefur, now Bluestar, took his place. She appointed Redtail as her deputy, and at the ceremony, Whitestorm looked over at Tigerclaw. He was scowling, with Goldenflower pressed into his shoulder. Whitestorm sighed.

Then, a season into Bluestar’s reign, Redtail turned up dead after a battle over Sunningrocks, the same place where Whitestorm and Lionheart had overheard Tigerclaw and Goldenflower all those moons earlier, carried into camp in Tigerclaw’s jaws. Whitestorm saw the hungry, ambitious look in Tigerclaw’s eyes and thought to himself,  _ Did you finally avenge Thistleclaw, my love? _ before returning to Lionheart’s side.

A kittypet named Rusty was accepted into ThunderClan as an apprentice, taking the name of Firepaw, and Lionheart and Whitestorm contented themselves with overseeing his progress. They’d never forgotten about Tigerclaw (how could they?) but they managed to be happy by themselves.

Lionheart was appointed deputy in the wake of Redtail’s death. Whitestorm cried at the ceremony, though he fiercely insisted against that fact when he spoke to Lionheart afterwards. It was a change that was welcomed, though Whitestorm thought selfishly that he wished Lionheart could stay in their nest longer and not have to organize patrols every morning.

Goldenflower finally bore two kits, named Tawnykit and Bramblekit. They were beautiful, though there was a bitter sadness in the air whenever Lionheart visited them. His relationship with his sister had never been the same since she’d stolen away Tigerclaw. Or had Whitestorm pushed him away? They never bothered to point claws. What was the point?

Then Lionheart died in a battle against ShadowClan. It was as they were laying his body in the centre of the clearing that Tigerclaw finally shattered every bit of love Whitestorm still felt for him. Whitestorm was sitting by the body, his muzzle running wet with tears, amber eyes dull with grief. It felt as if somebody had reached into his chest and clawed out his heart.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” Tigerclaw muttered, sitting down beside Whitestorm.

“It’s your loss, too,” Whitestorm replied grimly. “Or had you forgotten that we all used to share a nest? It’s going to be colder than ever, now.” Then he sobbed and pressed his muzzle into Lionheart’s mane, the fur quickly cooling. Whitestorm was desperate to keep Lionheart as long as he could.

“He was a great warrior,” Tigerclaw mewed solemnly.

“You loved him!” Whitestorm snarled, sitting up and glaring over at Tigerclaw. “You loved him and he loved you and there’s no use pretending it didn’t happen! Just because you abandoned us for Goldenflower doesn’t mean that you can’t acknowledge the seasons we spent together! You barely talked to him before he died! Lionheart loved you and you won’t even admit it!”

Tigerclaw got to his paws silently. “I stopped loving him a long time ago,” he mewed gruffly, then stalked away.

Whitestorm hung his head as another sob wracked his frame. He was alone.

It never stopped hurting, and the wound on his grief-stricken heart only tore open further when Tigerclaw was exiled from ThunderClan. Whitestorm had suspected that he’d killed Redtail, but everything else… it horrified him. Tigerclaw hadn’t been the cat he’d loved in seasons.

Then Tigerstar appeared at the Gathering and everything went into a headspin. Days flashed by in a heartbeat - Brindleface’s death and the dog attack - and he only caught himself when he stared down at his aunt, Bluestar, cold and lifeless in the ThunderClan clearing, remembering Lionheart’s similar form. Fireheart took the name of Firestar and Whitestorm was appointed deputy.

He accepted the position humbly, truthfully expecting some younger warrior to get it. The ceremony was bittersweet as Whitestorm remembered Lionheart’s deputyship. Whitestorm tried to do the best he could, advising Firestar and organizing the Clan, but everything was too much. He’d lost everyone he’d ever loved. It couldn’t possibly get any worse.

Whitestorm cursed those words as he watched Tigerstar die nine times at the claws of Scourge, a rogue cat from Twolegplace. Whitestorm knew as the Clans marched into battle against BloodClan that it would be his last day in the forest, and he welcomed it, but it didn’t stop him fighting like a warrior of LionClan.

Whitestorm’s claws were slick with blood when the apprentices came to his rescue. One of them was Bramblepaw, and Whitestorm mistook him for Tigerstar, initially. Another was Tawnypaw, and though they bore no resemblance, Whitestorm swore he could see Lionheart in her. Then he stumbled and fell to the ground and realized that he was dying.

He named Graystripe as the next ThunderClan deputy. It was only logical. Then, white pelt stained with the blood of every rogue cat Whitestorm had managed to get his claws on, he breathed his last.

When Whitestorm awoke in StarClan, there were two familiar faces there to greet him. “Bluestar! Snowfur!” he purred, leaping to wrap his paws around his mother’s neck.

“I’m so proud of you, Whitestorm,” Snowfur murmured. “Nothing in your life was easy, but you were so strong, even when you knew it was the end.”

Bluestar lay her tail over Whitestorm’s back. “I only wish I’d listened to you about Tigerstar before it was too late,” she whispered. “I should have known that you would know him better than anybody.”

“Tigerstar!” Whitestorm jumped back, wild. “Is he here? Is he in StarClan?” Goldenflower still lived… perhaps they could be together again, even if it was just for a little while.

Snowfur looked at him pityingly. “I’m sorry,” she mewed. “He doesn’t hunt here.” Snowfur saw his crestfallen expression and quickly added, “But there’s somebody else that wants to see you.”

“Whitestorm!” The white warrior perked up at the sound of Lionheart’s voice, and he had no time to react before Lionheart bowled into his side, nearly knocking him off his paws. “I’m sorry- I was watching the battle and-”

Whitestorm laughed. The battle seemed so far away now. “Are we winning?” he asked nonchalantly.

Lionheart nodded. “I missed you, you great lump,” he mewed affectionately, bumping Whitestorm’s shoulder with his nose.

“I missed you too,” Whitestorm purred. “Why don’t you show me around my new home?” He glanced over at Bluestar and Snowfur, who were smiling encouragingly.

“I’d love to, Whitestorm,” Lionheart answered.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment telling me what you guys think!  
> This was supposed to be happy ;n; where did I go wrong?? I'm pretty happy with what I ended up with, though.  
> If you're interested in reading my other drabbles and one-shots, there's a fic on my account titled Warriors' Hearts where I compile all my shorter works!


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